Locking cap for a container

ABSTRACT

A positive type protective locking closure or cap is provided for a container, preferably of the aerosol type but not limited thereto. This protective closure or cap consists basically of two parts, namely a basic cap and a plunger. The cap is provided with a plurality of inwardly and downwardly extending fingers with hooks for engaging in and under the curl in a standard aerosol can valve cup. The plunger is provided with an inner depending skirt so arranged that when the plunger is depressed, the fingers are forced radially outwardly thus forming a secure lock under the curl of the standard valve cup. When the plunger is retracted, the fingers become relaxed, thus freeing the hooks from under the curl of the valve cup, and the cap is easily removed from the container.

United States Patent [191 Richards LOCKING CAP FOR A CONTAINER [75] Inventor: Warren Richards, Baltimore, Md.

[73] Assignee: Pharma Plastics, Incorporated,

Baltimore, Md.

22 Filed: Mar. 1, 1 972 21 Appl. No.: 230,579

[52] US. Cl. 220/60, 215/9, 206/52 F I [51] Int. Cl 865d 43/10 [58] Field of Search .215/9; 220/60 R, 60 A,

220/DIG. 20, 60; 222/182; 206/52 F Mar. 26, 1974 Primary Examiner-Herbert F. Ross Assistant Examiner-Steven M. Pollard Attorney, Agent, or FirmWalter G. Finch [5 7] ABSTRACT A positive type protective locking closure or cap is provided for a container, preferably of the aerosol type but not limited thereto. This protective closure or cap consists basically of two parts, namely a basic cap and a plunger. The cap is provided with a plurality of inwardly and downwardly extending fingers with hooks for engaging in and under the curl in a standard aerosol can valve cup. The plunger is provided with an inner depending skirt so arranged that when the [56] References cued plunger is depressed, the fingers are forced radially UNITED STATES PATENTS outwardly thus forming a secure lock under the curl of 3,578,156 5/1971 Norby 206/52 F the standard valve cup. When the plunger is retracted, 3,439,273 l/l970 yv- 206/52 F the fingers become relaxed, thus freeing the hooks 3,004,658 10/I96l Rehklov 206/52 F f under the curl f the valve cup and h cap is easily removed from the container.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 4 4 d 24 ?//9 L... I' 22 E /W I QLZ LOCKING CAP FOR A CONTAINER This invention relates generally to container cap construction, and more particularly to a locking cap assembly for containers of the aerosol can type. Although this invention is illustrated in connection with an aerosol type can, it is not limited thereto as it can be readily adapted to other types of containers where a closure must be positively locked to a container as described above.

Cover caps to cover household products, such as spray paints, insecticides, cleaners, and the like; personal products such as hairsprays, shaving preparations, and the like; pharmaceutical products; and cosmetics, such as spray colognes and so forth, are simply covers designed to protect the valves so that the products contained in the containers cannot be dispensed without removing the cap. Such aerosol cover caps are also placed on the cans for decorative purposes.

An'object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a new deisgn'of a lockingcap to fit standard aerosol cans whereby it will have a locking device relatively easily removable by an adult, but difficult for young children to remove.

3 Still another objectof this invention is to provide a novel locking cap for a container, such as an aerosol type can, which is a protective closure for the container and which is not easily removed by children. I

Even another object of this invention is to provide a child-resistant cover cap for an aerosol container employing a standard valve cup.

And anotherobject of this invention is to provide a novel locking closure cap which reduces thenumber of components formanufacturing such a closure or cap to only two. And still even another object of this invention is to provide a novel locking closure cap, which can be manufactured in large ecomonic quantities by conventional molding of plastics.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel locking cap or closure for a container which is easily assembled on a production line and often uses standard capping equipment. 7

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel locking closure for a container which has a positive lock to the container.

And still another object of this invention is to provide a multi-colored cover cap for aesthetic appeal.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a locking cap for a container embodying features of this invention;

FIG. 2a is a vertical cross section view of the assetn bled cap taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1 showing the cap mounted on a container and in its unlocked position;

FIG. 2b is a vertical cross section similar to FIG. 2a except that the cap is shown in its locked position;

FIG. 3 is across section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2b showing-the locking lugs; 7

FIG. 5 is across section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2b showing the locking slots in the open end of the outer skirt of the plunger;

FIG. 6a is a bottom view of the cap assembly removed from the container, and shown in its unlocked position with the plunger retracted;

FIG. 6b is a view similar to FIG. 6a except that the cap is shown in its locked position with the plunger depressed; and

FIG. 7 is a cross section view of the assembled cap taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, illustrating an alternate version which allows the assembled cap to be initially attached to the container in its locked position.

Referring now to FIGS. I to 6b of the drawings, there is shown a container 16, generally of the aerosol type, having as a part a valve mounting cup 39 attached to the can head at the curl 37, with its dispensing valve 35 positioned in the center for dispensing the contents of the container 16. A container cap assembly 10 is positioned on the container 16.

This container cap assembly 10 consists basically of a cap section 12 and a plunger section 14. The cap section 12 is provided with a skirt which may be substantially the same diameter as the aerosol can 12.

This cap section 12 has formed integral therewith an inner well 15. From the lower end of the inner well 15, there depends a plurality of inwardly and downwardly spaced extending locking fingers 30. Each finger 30 has a hook 31 provided on the end thereof.

These fingers 30 are flexible, and use the hinge propensities of the therrnoplastics, particularly polypropylene. The fingers 30 have the hooks 31 on their ends so shaped that in an extended or locked position, they will fitclosely in and under the curl 37 of the locking ring 36 in the standard aerosol can valve cup 39. The plunger 14 of the cap assembly 10 consists of a cylindrical locking hollow actuating shaft 32 which extends downwardly from the top 17 thereof and is centrally located.

The plunger 14 is also provided with the concentric skirt 19 having a radially inward extendingring 20 at the lower end thereof to engage with a detent ring 18 positioned on the upper end of the inner well 15 of the cap 12 when the plunger is in a retracted position and to'hold the cap 12 and the plunger 14 together.

A small slot 26 and a large slot 28 are provided in the retaining-ring 20 of the plunger 14 as shown in FIG. 5, while a small lug 22, and a large lug 24 are provided on the exterior of the inner well 15, as shown best in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 4. The slots 26 and 28 and the lugs 22 and 24 are spaced so that the latter will pass through the former when the plunger 14 is pushed downwardly, but such passage can be effected only when slot 28 in plunger 14 is precisely aligned with lug 24 on cap 12.

When the plunger 14 is depressed from the position shown in FIG. 2a to the position shown in FIG. 2b, the locking actuating shaft 32 causes the fingers 30 to flex outwardly to form a secure lock within and under the curl 37 of the container locking ring 36. At the same time, the lugs 22 and 24 on the outer well 15 pass through their respective slots 26 and 28 in the plunger retaining ring 20 so that upon rotation of the plunger 14, the latter is positively and securely locked to the inner well 15 of the cap l0.

When it is desired to remove the cap 10 from the can or container 16, upon rotation of the plunger 14 so that the lugs 22 and 24 are aligned with their respective slots 26 and 28 in the plunger retaining ring 20, the plunger 14 can be withdrawn to withdraw the locking actuating shaft 32 to release the locking fingers 30 from beneath the curl 37 of the container locking ring 36. This is due to the fact that the hinging propensities of the material of the fingers 30 plus their plastic memory withdraw the fingers 30 with their hooks 31 from the locking ring 36. Thus the cap assembly can now be removed from the container 12.

In FIG. 7, there is shown an alternate version of the locking actuating shaft 34. It is essentially the same design as actuating shaft 37 but having a shorter shaft 34. The modification of FIG. 7 allows the cap to be assembled in its locked position in the factory by its manufacturer and in this mode furnished to the can filler whose capping operations may be performed in the conventional manner taking advantage of the inherent flexibility and spring recovery of the plastic material of which the basic cap is made.

The filling line where all the components of the container are brought together may then apply the cap 10 to the container 16 with its valve cup 39 on the standard capping equipment by forcing the hooks 31 vertically downwardly intothe valve cup 39 and under the curl 37. As indicated, the hinging and memory qualities of the plastic material are brought into play to accomplish this.

It is to be noted that the combination of slots 26 and 28 and the respective lugs 22 and 24 will be made so that it will be difficult for a young child to solve the key. However, an adult would experience no difficulty in removing the cap 12 from the container 16 for use or in replacing and locking the cap 12 to the container 16 when the latter is not being used. The design of the cap assembly could incorporate a plurality of lugs 22 and 24 at different levels for additional protection.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An article assembly, comprising, two sections assembled together, one of said sections having generally an outer skirt for engagement with and positionable on a container and an inner well with fingers extending inwardly and downwardly therefrom, the other section having means extending downwardly through said inner well for forcing said fingers outwardly to engage and lock to an element on said container independently of the positioning of said one section on said container, and means on said sections having portions which are selectively alignable for locking said sections together when the fingers of said one section are in engagement with said element on said container and unlocking said sections when said other section is to be withdrawn to retract said fingers of said one section from engagement with said element on said container.

2. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said sections are formed of a class of polypropylene, polyethylene or other thermoplastic materials having similar physical attributes.

3. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said sections are formed of thermoplastics.

4. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said inwardly and downwardly extending fingers have hook elements thereon for engagement with said element in said container.

5. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said means extending downwardly through said inner well consists of an actuating shaft for forcing said fingers outwardly to engage and to lock to said element on said container.

6. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said locking means on said sections consist of retaining rings in abutting engagement with each other, with mating lugs and slots to permit said retaining rings to lock one beneath the other. 

1. An article assembly, comprising, two sections assembled together, one of said sections having generally an outer skirt for engagement with and positionable on a container and an inner well with fingers extending inwardly and downwardly therefrom, the other section having means extending downwardly through said inner well for forcing said fingers outwardly to engage and lock to an element on said container independently of the positioning of said one section on said container, and means on said sections having portions which are selectively alignable for locking said sections together when the fingers of said one section are in engagement with said element on said container and unlocking said sections when said other section is to be withdrawn to retract said fingers of said one section from engagement with said element on said container.
 2. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said sections are formed of a class of polypropylene, polyethylene or other thermoplastic materials having similar physical attributes.
 3. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said sections are formed of thermoplastics.
 4. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said inwardly and downwardly extending fingers have hook elements thereon for engagement with said element in said container.
 5. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said means extending downwardly through said inner well consists of an actuating shaft for forcing said fingers outwardly to engage and to lock to said element on said container.
 6. An article assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said locking means on said sections consist of retaining rings in abutting engagement with each other, with mating lugs and slots to permit said retaining rings to lock one beneath the other. 